Shaykh Salih Al-Munajjid gave a detailed practical advice about how can we prepare ourselves for the arrival of Ramadaan. He said:

Among the best ways of preparing for the month of Ramadaan are:

1. Sincere repentance:

This is obligatory at all times, but because of the approach of a great and blessed month, it is even more important to hasten to repent from sins between you and your Lord, and between you and other people by giving them their rights, so that when the blessed month begins you may busy yourself with acts of worship with a clean heart and peace of mind. Allaah says:

“And all of you beg Allaah to forgive you all, O believers, that you may be successful” (1)

It was narrated from al-Agharr ibn Yasaar (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet sallAllaahu 3Alayhi wa sallam said:

“O people, repent to Allaah for I repent to Him one hundred times each day.” (2)

2. Du3aa’ (supplication):

It was narrated from some of the salaf that they used to pray to Allaah for six months that they would live until Ramadaan, then they would pray for five months afterwards that He would accept it from them.

The Muslim should ask his Lord to let him live until Ramadaan with a strong religious commitment and good physical health, and he should ask Him to help him obey Him during the month, and ask Him to accept his good deeds from Him.

3. Rejoicing at the approach of the blessed month:

The arrival of Ramadaan is one of the great blessings that Allaah bestows upon His Muslim slave, because Ramadaan is one of the occasions of good in which the gates of Paradise are opened and the gates of Hell are closed. It is the month of the Qur’aan and of decisive battles in the history of our religion. Allaah says:

7 – Sitting with one’s family members – wife and children – to tell them of the rulings on fasting and encourage the young ones to fast.

8 – Preparing some books which can be read at home or given to the Imaam of the Masjid to read to the people during Ramadaan.

9 – Fasting some of the month of Sha3baan in preparation for fasting Ramadaan.

It was narrated that 3Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) said:

The Messenger of Allaah sallAllaahu 3Alayhi wa sallam used to fast until we said: He will not break his fast, and he used not to fast until we said: He will not fast. And I never saw the Messenger of Allaah sallAllaahu 3Alayhi wa sallam complete a month of fasting except Ramadaan, and I never saw him fast more in any month than in Sha3baan. (6)

It was narrated that Usaamah ibn Zayd said: “I said: O Messenger of Allaah, I do not see you fasting in any month as you fast in Sha3baan? He said:

“That is a month that people neglect between Rajab and Ramadaan, but it is a month in which people’s deeds are taken up to the Lord of the Worlds and I would like my deeds to be taken up when I am fasting.” (7)

This hadeeth explains the wisdom behind fasting in Sha3baan, which is that it is a month in which deeds are taken up (to Allaah). Some of the scholars mentioned another reason, which is that this fasting is like Sunnah prayers offered beforehand in relation to the obligatory prayer; they prepare the soul for performing the obligatory action, and the same may be said of fasting Sha3baan before Ramadaan.

10 – Reading Qur’aan

Salamah ibn Kuhayl said: It was said that Sha3baan was the month of the Qur’aan readers.

When Sha3baan began, 3Amr ibn Qays would close his shop and free his time for reading Qur’aan.

Abu Bakr al-Balkhi said:

The month of Rajab is the month for planting, the month of Sha3baan is the month of irrigating the crops, and the month of Ramadaan is the month of harvesting the crops.

He also said:

The likeness of the month of Rajab is that of the wind, the likeness of Sha3baan is that of the clouds and the likeness of Ramadaan is that of the rain; whoever does not plant and sow in Rajab, and does not irrigate in Sha3baan, how can he reap in Ramadaan?

Now Rajab has passed, so what will you do in Sha3baan if you are seeking Ramadaan? This is how your Prophet and the early generations of the ummah were in this blessed month, so what will you do?

Beautiful recitation of Soorah Qaaf, one of my favorite soorah, by Shaykh Salman Al-3Utaybi from Riyaad. Read the translation (Subtitles) as you listen to these powerful, heart trembling aayaat (aayaat 16-35).

8. 15 minutes after sunrise pray 2 rak3aat of shurooq. This all amounts to the reward of a complete Hajj & 3Umrah. So do not waste it! (7)

9. If you’re able to stay awake by all means, do so and do not waste a single minute. If you need to sleep, take a nap for an hour with the conscious intention of energizing yourself for the worship of Allaah, so that even your sleep will be rewarded!

10. When you wake up, make wudoo’ and pray at least 4 rakaat of Duhaa. (8)

11. Then recite lots of Qur’aan and make the dhikr mentioned above in breaks in between.

(Make dhikr after Dhuhr as you prepare food or as you do whatever responsibilities are absolutely necessary).

12. After 3Asr, say the evening adhkar. Then recite Qur’aan again till about an hour before Maghrib.

13. At that point, make LOTS of du3aa’ till Maghrib, while having Yaqeen (certainty) that Allaah will answer. (Preparing a du3aa’ list ahead of time helps!)

Beg that the day will not come to an end except that Allaah has forgiven you all your sins and written you of those He has freed from the Fire. Don’t forget du3aa’ for the Muslims suffering all over the world.

14. Remember as you break your fast that your du3aa’ at that moment is accepted.

May Allaah subhaanahu wa ta3aala grant us all Tawfeeq on that day. Aameen

(1) Narrated Abû Hurayrah radhiAllaahu 3anhu: Allaah’s Apostle sallAllaahu 3alayhi wa sallam said: “When a bondsman – a Muslim or a believer – washes his face (in course of ablution), every sin he contemplated with his eyes will be washed away from his face along with water, or with the last drop of water ; when he washes his hands, every sin they wrought will be effaced from his hands with the water, or with the last drop of water; and when he washes his feet, every sin towards which his feet have walked will be washed away with the water, or with the last drop of water, with the result that he comes out pure from all sins.” [Saheeh Muslim](2) 100 verses written as(3) du3aa is accepted in sujood(4) “And in the hours before dawn they would ask forgiveness,” (Soorat Adh-Dhaariyaat, v:18)(5) The Messenger of Allah sallAllaahu 3alayhi wa sallam said: “Du3aa is not rejected between the adhan and iqamah, so engage in du’a (supplication).” (Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 212; Abu Dawood, 437; Ahmad, 12174. Classed as saheeh by al-Albani in Saheeh Abi Dawood, 489).(6) Prophet sallAllaahu 3Alayhi wa Sallam said: “The best of du3aa’ is du3aa’ on the day of 3Arafah, and the best that I and the Prophets before me said is:لا إله إلا الله وحده لا شريك له ، له الملك ، وله الحمد ، وهو على كل شيء قدير‘(7) Prophet sallAllaahu 3Alayhi wa Sallam said: “Whoever prays Fajr in congregation, then sits remembering Allaah until the sun rises, then prays two rak3aat, will have a reward like that of Hajj and 3Umrah, complete, complete, complete.” (Tirmidhi (586), from Anas ibn Maalik- classed as hasan was al-Albaani in Saheeh Sunan at-Tirmidhi)(8) Allaah’s Messenger sallAllaahu 3Alayhi wa Sallam said: “Whoever prays two rak3aat of Duhaa will not be recorded as being among the heedless,and whoever prays four rak3aat (of Duhaa) will be recorded among the worshipers..” (Shaykh Al-Albani graded this hadeeth as Hasan in Saheeh At-Targheeb wat-Tarheeb)

He may not be able to read Arabic, but he can recite the Qur’aan, his voice is confident when answering questions about the Qur’aan verses.

The extraordinary little guy is Fajar Abdurokhim Wahyudiono, 10 years old from Indonesia.

What makes him so special was that he has memorised the entire Qur’aan, despite the difficulties he faces. His ambition is simple and noble: to become an Imaam of Masjid al-Haraam, Makkah.

Fajar suffers from spastic cerebral palsy (CP), a group of disorders that can involve brain and nervous system functions, such as movement, learning, hearing, seeing, and thinking.

“Fajar loves the challenge of completing or looking for a specific verse. Not so much with reciting,” said his mother Heny Sulistiowati, at their house in Karanganyar, Central Java, Indonesia.

Heny and her husband, Joko Wahyudiono believe that the Qur’aan is the cure for all ailments. When their son was born prematurely on October 2, 2003, they regularly played him recordings of the Qur’aan. Because of his low birth weight of only 1.6 kilos, Fajar had to remain in intensive care. When they came to bring him breast milk, Heny and Joko also brought along a recording for the nurse to play.

“I told the nurse to play the cassette once in a while for my child. At that time, the NICU usually played music.”

Playing recordings of the Qur’aan continued after Fajar was brought home. Heny and Joko were very selective as to what he was allowed to listen. It’s also why they decided not to have a TV and or listen to music at home.

“A child has to listen to good things. Everything from the Qur’aan is good, so that’s the best thing,” Heny said.

Up until he was two months old, Fajar was just like other babies. It was only when he turned three months that Heny realised there was something different about him: his development was slow. After consulting a pediatrician, they discovered that Fajar had CP. The doctor said it could have been caused by his premature delivery, as parts of his brain had not fully developed.

Together with physical therapy, Heny continued with the cassette recordings.

At age 3, when Fajar showed interest in images, Heny bought an interactive CD of the Qur’aan. And that was how he learned the Arabic alphabet.

He first spoke around the age of 3,and the first thing out of his mouth were snippets of Qur’aan verses. At first, his parents could only make out the end of the verse Fajar was trying to recite. Later, they could hear the beginning and the end, and finally they could make out the complete verse.

When he was almost 4 years old, he had memorised the entire Qur’aan. Then, he began to ask his mother to find a verse for him. Not a hafiz herself, Heny was overwhelmed and found for him a female Qur’aan teacher.

“Six months into it, the teacher said that Fajar had memorized 80-90 percent of the Qur’aan, although not in order,” she said.

He changed teachers twice and in December 2012, at the age of 9, Fajar had finally memorized the entire Qur’aan in order.

Fajar with his mother

What’s more, the regular listening to the Qur’aan seems to be improving his condition, according to Heny.

A brain test at age 3 showed that his brain was experiencing seizures. Recent tests showed that these had vanished. A MRI test revealed empty spaces in Fajar’s brain, which usually indicates hydrocephalus, a condition where the brain swells from excessive fluid. However, Fajar does not have this condition. Today he even goes to public school, while his motor and cognitive skills are improving.

“This is the miracle of the Qur’aan, it wakes sleeping brain cells. Alhamdulillaah, Fajar is experiencing the blessing of the Qur’aan,” said Heny.

Indeed, from the miracles of the Qur’aan.

وَلَقَدْ يَسَّرْنَا الْقُرْآنَ لِلذِّكْرِ فَهَلْ مِن مُّدَّكِرٍ

“And We have certainly made the Qur’aan easy to understand & remember, so is there any who will remember? [soorah Al-Qamar, v:17]

may Allaah grant this boy complete shifaa’ and attach our hearts to the Qur’aan and grant us the memorization of His Book. Aameen.

Shaykh Mishary Al-Kharaz introduces to an amazing young man, who heart is attached to the Masjid. Despite his disability and difficulty, he is always in the Masjid before the Takbeerat Al-Ihraam (first takbeer).

The Prophet SallAllaahu 3Alayhi wa Sallaam mentioned in a hadeeth, those whom Allaah will shade on a Day when no shade but His. Among them is:“………….a person whose heart is attached to the Masjid…….” (1)

Prophet SallAllaahu 3Alayhi wa sallam said, “If people knew what blessings lie in the Adhaan and the first row, and they could not achieve this (distinction) by casting lots, they would certainly do so..” (2)

Here are 6 practical advices on maintaining & sustaining good deeds after Ramadaan. Reflect on the virtues of these good deeds & lets compete with each other to Jannah inshaa’Allaah.

1: Guard your Prayers:

# Don’t miss the Congregation:

It is narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allaah SallAllahu 3Alayhi wa Sallam said: “A man’s prayer in congregation is twenty-five times better than his praying in his house or marketplace, because when he does wudoo’ and does it well, then goes out to the mosque, only going there to pray, he does not take a single step but he is raised in status and a sin is erased thereby. When he prays, the angels continue to send blessings upon him so long as he is still in the place where he prayed, (saying), ‘O Allaah, send blessings on him, O Allaah have mercy on him.’ And one of you is still in a state of prayer so long as he is waiting for the prayer.” (1)

3Uthmaan ibn 3Affaan said: I heard the Messenger of Allaah SallAllahu 3Alayhi wa Sallam say:“Whoever does wudoo’ for prayer and does wudoo’ well, then walks to (perform) the prescribed prayer, and offers the prayer with the people or with the congregation or in the mosque, Allaah will forgive him his sins.” (2)

# Save yourself from the Fire!

Prophet SallAllaahu 3Alayhi wa Sallam said:“Whoever prays for forty days with the congregation, always being present for the first takbeer, it will be written that he will be safe from two things: he will be safe from the Fireand safe from hypocrisy.” (3)

# Pray As soon as the Iqaamah is called (for sisters)

Narrated 3Abdullaah: “I asked the Prophet SallAllaahu 3Alayhi wa Sallam: “Which deed is the dearest to Allaah?” He replied,“To offer the prayers at their early stated fixed times.” (4)

2: Never miss the Regular Sunnah ((Sunnah mu’akkadah):

This is the first wall Shaytaan breaks to break your castle of Salaah.

# Buiilt A house in Jannah:

“Whoever prays twelve rak3ahs during the night and day, a house will be built for him in Paradise: four before Dhuhr and two after, two rak3ahs after Maghrib, two rak3ahs after 3Ishaa’ and two rak3ahs before Fajr prayer.”(5) see footnote for another narration.

# The Sunnah of Fajr:

“The two rak3ahs of Fajr are better than this world and everything in it.”(6). The one who misses the Sunnah prayer before Fajr may offer it after Fajr prayer.

3: Get up 1 (or half an) hour before Fajr and Pray Tahajjud:

# The Best Prayer

“The best prayer after the obligatory prayer is prayer at night.” (7)

# Don’t be a Negligent:

The Messenger of Allaah SallAllaahu 3Alayhi wa Sallam said:“Whoever prays Qiyaam reciting ten verses will not be recorded as one of the negligent. Whoever prays Qiyaam reciting one hundred verses will be recorded as one of the devout. Whoever prays Qiyaam reciting one thousand verses will be recorded as one of the Muqantireen.” (8)

Prophet SallAllaahu 3Alayhi wa Sallam said:“The closest that the Lord is to His slave is in the later part of the night, so if you can be one of those who remember Allaah at that time, then do so.”(9)

# Get all your needs answered by Allaah:

Abu Hurayrah radi Allaahu 3Anhu reported that the Prophet SallAllaahu 3Alayhi wa Sallam said: “The Lord descends every night to the lowest heaven when one-third of the night remains and says: ‘Who will call upon Me, that I may answer Him? Who will ask of Me, that I may give him? Who will seek My forgiveness, that I may forgive him?'” (10)

4: Have A Daily Qur’aan Sitting,

Sit for half an hour after Fajr or whenever it will be convenient for you.

Prophet SallAllaahu 3Alayhi wa Sallam said:“Read the Qur’aan, for it will come on the Day of Resurrection interceding for its companions.” (11)

“Whoever reads a letter of the Book of Allah will have one hasanah (good deed) for it, and the hasanah (good deed) brings a tenfold reward. I do not say that ‘Alif-Laam-Meem’ is a letter; rather Alif is a letter, Laam is a letter and Meem is a letter.” (12)

# Having Difficulty in Reading:

The Prophet SallAllaahu 3Alayhi wa Sallam said: “A person who recites the Qur’an and masters it by heart, will be with the noble righteous scribes (in Heaven). And a person who exerts himself to learn the Qur’an by heart and recites it with great difficulty, will have a double reward.” (13)

5: Continue Fasting:

# Mondays & Thursdays

Abu Hurayrah radi Allaahu 3Anhu narrated that the Messenger of Allaah SallAllaahu 3Alayhi wa Sallam said:“Deeds are shown (to Allaah) on Mondays and Thursdays, and I like my deeds to be shown when I am fasting.” (14)

Jareer ibn 3Abd-Allaah radi Allaahu 3Anhu narrated that the Prophet SallAllaahu 3Alayhi wa Sallam said: “Fasting three days of each month is fasting for a lifetime, and ayaam al-beed are the thirteenth, fourteenth and fifteenth.” (16)

Abu Hurayrah radi Allaahu 3Anhu said: “My close friend [the Prophet SallAllaahu 3Alayhi wa Sallam] advised me to do three things which I will not give up until I die: Fasting three days of each month, praying Duha, and sleeping after Witr.” (17)

# Ayyaam Al-Beed

Abu Dharr radi Allaahu 3Anhu said: The Messenger of Allaah SallAllaahu 3Alayhi wa Sallam said to me:“If you fast any part of the month, then fast the thirteenth, fourteenth and fifteenth.” (18)

(In the name of Allaah with Whose name nothing can cause harm on earth or in heaven, and He is the All-Seeing, the All-Knowing);

three times, nothing will harm him.” (20)

# Sayyid al-Istighfaar

Prophet SallAllaahu 3Alayhi wa Sallam said:“Whoever says this during the day, believing in it with certainty, then dies on that day before evening comes, will be one of the people of Paradise, and whoever says it at night, believing in it with certainty, then dies on that night before morning comes, will be one of the people of Paradise.” (21)

Prophet SallAllaahu 3Alayhi wa Sallam said:“A soorah from the Qur’aan containing thirty verses will intercede for a man so that he will be forgiven. It is the soorah Tabaarak Alathi bi yadihi’l-mulk [i.e., Soorat al-Mulk].” (22)

At the time of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) we used to call it al-maani’ah (that which protects). In the Book of Allaah it is a soorah which, whoever recites it every night has done very well. (23)

# Reciting Aayat-ul-kursi

“When you go to your bed, recite Aayat al-Kursiy, for there will remain with you a guardian from Allaah, and no devil will approach you, until morning comes.” (24)

# Last 2 Aayaat of soorah Al-Baqarah

Prophet SallAllaahu 3Alayhi wa Sallam said: “Whoever recites the last two verses of Soorat al-Baqarah at night, they will suffice him.” (25)

They said, “These Mus-hafs will be taken away! What about that which is (memorized) in Men’s hearts?”

He said: “Something will come and take it one night, and in the morning they will wake up without it. They will forget the phrase ‘laa ilaaha ill-Allaah’and they will start to recite the sayings and poetry of the Jaahiliyyah. That is when the Word will be fulfilled against them.” (1)

In another narration, 3AbdAllaah ibn Mas3ood said:

“Something will come and take the Qur’aan one night and not one aayah will be left, either in the Mus-haf or in the heart of any person, but it will be taken away.” (2)

3Amr ibn Deenar (d. 126 A.H.)said:

“I have met the Companions of the Prophet sallAllaahu 3Alayhi wa sallam and those that came after them for seventy years. All of them said: “Allaah is the Creator and everything besides Him is created, and the Qur’aan is the kalaam of Allaah, from Him it came, and to Him it will return.”” (3)

Tabaraani narrated that Ibn Mas3ood radi-Allaahu 3Anhhu said: “This Qur’aan will most certainly be taken away from amongst you.”

He was asked: “O Abu 3Abd al-Rahmaan, how will it be taken away when it is so deeply rooted in our hearts and is written in our mus-hafs?”

He said: “Something will come to it at night, then there will be nothing left of it in people’s hearts or in the mus-haf, and the next morning the people will be like animals.”

Then he recited the aayah (interpretation of the meaning):

“And if We willed, We could surely, take away that which We have revealed to you (i.e. this Qur’aan). Then you would find no protector for you against Us in that respect” [soorah Al-Israa’ , v:86] (4)

Imaam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:

“At the end of time, something will come to it at night in the Mus-hafs and in people’s hearts, then there will not be left one word of it in people’s hearts or one letter of it in the Mus-haf.” (5)

Allaah revealed the Qur’aan as a guidance to mankind and He guaranteed to protect it. It is the eternal miracle of the Prophet sallAllaahu 3Alayhi wa sallam and it will remain, and people of earlier and later generations will learn from it and be guided by it,

But at the end of time, just before the Hour comes, Allaah will take the souls of the believers, and there will be no one left on earth except the most evil of people. There will be no prayer, no fasting, no Hajj and no charity (zakaah). Then there will be no point in the Ka3bah being there or in the Qur’aan remaining among mankind, so Allaah will decree that the Ka3bah be destroyed at the hands of a kaafir from Ethiopia. (6)

And Allaah will take the Qur’aan away from the earth, and not one aayah of it will be left in the mus-hafs or in people’s hearts.

Allaah will not permit His Book to remain on earth if it is not benefiting anyone and no one is acting in accordance with it. So this thing will come to pass.

Advice:

This frightening event makes the sincere Muslim hasten to pay attention to the Book of Allaah, to learn it, memorize it, recite it and ponder its meanings, before the Book is taken away. (Build A Daily Relationship with Qur’aan)

This is one of the tribulations that will happen at the end of time, concerning which our Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:

“Hasten to do good deeds before tribulations come like patches of dark night, when a man will wake up as a believer and by evening he will be a kaafir, or in the evening he will be a believer and by morning he will be a kaafir, selling his religion for some worldly gains.” (7)

“If you find yourself unable to pray or make Sujood, or find yourself slacking in prayer and worship, realize that it’s your heart that has refused, because limbs only carry out the commands of the heart.”

A Beautiful naseehah (advice) by shaykh Shinqeeti, for all, specially those who have time but don’t read the Qur’aan.

Shaykh Mukhtaar Shinqeet was asked a questions: ” A number of days may pass & I do not get to read anything from the Qu’raan..” This was his reply.

3Abd-Allaah ibn Mas3ood said: The Messenger of Allaah sallAllaahu 3Alayhi wa Sallam said: “Whoever reads a letter of the Book of Allaah will be credited with a good deed, and a good deed gets a tenfold reward. I do not say that Alif-Laam-Meem is a letter, rather alif is a letter, laam is a letter and meem is a letter.”(1)

Imaam al-Nawawee said: “Reciting Qur’aan is the most important of adhkar, which should be done regularly. No day or night should be without it and it may be attained by reciting a few verses.” (2)

Salamah ibn Suhayl used to say: “The month of Sha3baan is the month of reciters (of the Qur’aan)”

Some Tips to build a Daily Relation with Qur’aan:

✅ Set a time for your daily Qur’aan recitation.

✅ Better to make it after Fajr salaah & adhkar, or before Fajr or after 3Asr (depending on each person’s situation).

✅ Do not use this time (after Fajr) for net, emails, Facebook or whatsApp.

✅ Start off with 15-20 minutes to maximum 1/2 an hour (if you aren’t in the habit of reading regularly)

✅ Continue with this for 1 week (to get into the habit).

✅ If you missed the daily Qur’aan sitting any day, take time out from your sleep time or any other activity & cover it up before the next day.

✅ After one week, increase the recitation time to 30 minutes to 45 minutes & continue it for next full week.

✅ Do not use this time for reading Tafseer or translation. If you want to read translation or tafseer, set a separate time for it.

Qur’aanic Pearls

“The month of Ramadaan in which was revealed the Qur’aan, a guidance for mankind and clear proofs for the guidance and the criterion..."

[soorah al-Baqarah, v: 185]

Monthly Hadeeth

Prophet sallAllaahu 3Alayhi wa sallam said:

“When the first night of Ramadhaan comes, the doors of Paradise will be opened and the doors of Hell will be closed, and the devils will be chained, and it will be said, 'O you who desires virtue! Come forth and O you who desires evil! Stay behind', and Allaah has people whom He frees from Hell every night (in that month).".

[Al-Bukhaaree & Muslim]

Ramadaan Resources

Articles, notes & tips to maximize the time & getting best of Ramadaan

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jazakumAllaahu khayran